The Internet of things consists in allowing everyday things to communicate data automatically with a wireless network. For example, a water meter equipped with a communication module can automatically communicate a water reading to the firm managing the billing of water consumption.
Some gateways, also called base stations, have the role of ensuring radio reception and emission of data from and to the communication modules present in their coverage zone as well as of relaying these data to equipment in charge of processing them, for example servers accessible over a network based on the IP (“Internet Protocol”) protocol.
Several radio access technologies are available for implementing networks of communication modules. The LoRa™, Sigfox™ or else WM-Bus (“Wireless Meter Bus”) technologies, which rely in particular on different types of modulation, may be cited purely by way of nonlimiting illustration.
These technologies have in common that they offer long range communications which make it possible to decrease the number of gateways by increasing the latter's coverage.
However, the continuous emission and reception of data, in particular by long range technologies mentioned above, consumes a great deal of energy, thereby limiting the lifetime of the batteries of the communication modules and requiring that the gateways be powered from the mains.